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The Book of the Giants12/4/2013Sacred Texts Christianity{From the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. XI, Part 1, 1943, pp. 52-74. The transcriptions of the original textshave been omitted in this version.}p. 52The Book of the GiantsBy W. B. HENNING{skip to translations}ISAAC DE BEAUSOBRE, the Huguenot author of one of the best books ever written on Manichæism (Histoire critique de Manichéeet du Manicheïsme, Amsterdam, 1734, 1739), was the one to make the only sound suggestions on the sources used by Mani for thecompilation of his Book of the Giants: the Book of Enoch, and the Γραφὴ τω̑ν Γιγάντων which Kenan, a great-grandson of Noah,discovered lying in a field (vol. i, 429, n. 6). The latter work has been identified by Alfaric (Les Écritures Manichéennes, ii, 32) with abook whose contents are briefly indicated in the Decretum Gelasianum, p. 54, ll. 298-9 (ed. Dobschütz): Liber de Ogia1 nominegigante qui post diluvium cum dracone ab hereticis pugnasse perhibetur apocryphus. Of the Book of Enoch, which was composedin the Hebrew language in the second century B.C., only an Ethiopic version, a few Greek fragments, and some excerpts made by theByzantine chronographer Georgius Syncellus survive.2 Mani, who could hardly read the Hebrew, must have used an Aramaic editionbased directly on the Hebrew text (see below, Šhmyz’d). He quotes mainly from the first part, which Georgius S. (p. 45, Fl.-R.) calls"the first book of Enoch on the Egrēgoroi", but shows himself acquainted also with the subsequent chapters.3It is noteworthy that Mani, who was brought up and spent most of his life in a province of the Persian empire, and whose motherbelonged to a famous Parthian family,4 did not make any use of the Iranian mythological tradition. There can no longer be any doubtthat the Iranian names of Sām, Narīmān, etc., that appear in the Persian and Sogdian versions of the Book of the Giants, did notfigure in the original edition, written by Mani in the Syriac language.5 His disciples, who, it is well known, were in the habit of p. 53translating every word of a text (including the names of months, deities, etc.), seen fit also to "translate" the names of the giants. ThusSām is merely the translation of Ohya. However, they kept some of the original names (e.g. Šhmyz’d), and adapted some others (e.g.Wrwgd’d).1The story of the fallen angels and their giant sons needed little adaptation to be fitted into Mani's system. Of course, the heavenlyorigin of the B’nē-hā-Elōhīm2 of Genesis vi, 2, 4, the ’Εγρήγοροι, of the Book of Enoch, did not square with Mani's conviction that noevil could come from good. Therefore he transformed them into "demons", namely those demons that when the world was beingconstructed had been imprisoned in the skies under the supervision of the Rex Honoris. They rebelled and were recaptured, but twohundred of them escaped to the earth. Mani also used the term ’Εγρήγοροι (preserved in Coptic, see texts L, M, P, S), or rather ‘yr inAramaic (once in a Middle Persian fragment, text D), but in Eastern sources they are mostly referred to as "demons" (Pers. dyw’n,Parth. dyw’n in T 6, Sogd. δywt in G, H 17, K 7, cytyt in E, δywt ZY ykšyšt in H. 16).The puzzling clause of Genesis vi, 4: "The Nephilim were on the earth those days," was interpreted by Mani in this fashion: "when theEgrēgoroi descended, the animals, or proto-animals, were already in existence." Mani confused nəfīlīm with nefäl (näfäl) ἔκτρωμα:see Nöldeke, ZDMG., 43 (1889), 536, who rightly referred to the formula of abjuration (P.Gr., i, 1461) where the giants and the"abortions" are mentioned in one breath. In Manichæan parlance, "abortion" (cf. also MPers. ’bg’ng, Sogd. pš’q) is synonymous with"animal".We are therefore left with the Gibbōrīm, understood by Mani3 as "giants". He probably used the equivalent Syriac word, gabbārē(gnbr’), which his disciples translated as γίγαντες, al-ǰabābirah in Arabic, MPers. and Parthian k’w’n, Sogd. kwyšt kawišt (Sing. qwy,kw’y kawi); cf. Sb.P.A.W., 1934, 30. In Sasanian times the words derived from the Avestan Kavi were generally understood as"giant"; see Benveniste, MO., xxvi, 214, and Polotsky in Mir.Man., iii, 901. Thus MPers. Parth. k’w is freely used in Manichæan texts,e.g. of the Father of Light (M 40), of solar deities, of leading Manichæans (both in Mir.Man., iii), also of the First Man and Ahriman4with reference to the First Battle (which therefore could have been described as a γιγαντομαχία).5 p. 54 However, the word k’w isapplied only to men and such beings as are imagined anthropomorphous. Where one would translate γίγας as monster, the Iranianequivalent is mzn, Mazan. Thus the γίγας τη̑ς θαλάσσης (Kephalaia, 113 and notes), whose breathing operations are responsible forebb and flow (cf. also Beruni, India, 203, 10-11), is called Mzn ‘y (z)rhyg1 in Middle Persian (M 99, V 22-3). Accordingly, MPers. mzn(adj.2 and noun) and the related words, Pahl. mā̆zan, māzanīg, Sogd. mzny’n δyw, Av. māzainya-,3 should be rendered as "monster",or "gigantic, monstrous".The Egrēgoroi and their giant progeny are fought and vanquished by four archangels: Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, and Istrael (Enoch,10, 1; or: Uriel, or: Fanuel). In the Book of the Giants they are called "the four angels". They are frequently invoked by name inManichæan prayers (e.g. M 4 d 19, f 6; M 20), as Rwp’yl, Myx’yl, Gbr’yl, and Sr’yl ( Istrael).There were no details about individual feats of the giants in the Book of Enoch. Mani filled the gap with the help of the abovementioned Liber de Ogia nomine gigante. This Ogias has been identified with Og of Bashan,4 who according to late sources livedfive thousand years and managed to survive the Deluge, thanks to his giant size.5 But possibly stories that primarily appertained toOgias were transferred to the better known Og, owing to the resemblance of their names. The name of Ogias is ’why’ (’wḥy’) Ohyā̆(Oḥyā̆) in the Manichæan fragments, and this spelling is presumably more correct than that of Ogias. Og (‘wg) indubitably wouldappear as ’wg (or: ‘wg). Since Mani took ’why’ from an Aramaic text, the ending of Ogias cannot be regarded as a Greek ants.htm1 / 12
The Book of the Giants12/4/2013Ogias fought with a draco, and so did Ohya; his enemy was the Leviathan (text N). Ohya and his brother Ahya were the sons ofŠhmyz’d (text H), i.e. Στμιαζα̑ς, the chief of the Egrēgoroi in the Book of Enoch; hence, Στμιαζα̑ς is transcription of šhm- (or šḥm ?). Inthe Persian edition of the Kawān Ohya and Ahya are "translated" as Sām and Narīmān, but the original names are kept in onepassage (A 60). The translator did well to choose Sām-Krsāsp, both with regard to Ogias' longevity (Sām is one of the "Immortals")and to his fight with the dragon (Sām is a famous dragon-killer). In the Sogdian p. 55 fragments the name of Sām is spelt S’hm Sāhm,as it is often in Pahlavi (S’hm1 beside S’m); Ṭabari has Shm,2 cf. Christensen, Kayanides, p. 130. Sāhm's brother is Pāt-Sāhm. Thisname may have been invented by the Sogdian translator in order to keep the names of the brothers resembling each other. Narīmānwas evidently not known in Sogdiana as a brother of Sām. According to the Book of the Giants, the main preoccupation of SāmSāhm was his quarrel the giant Māhawai,3 the son of Virōgdād, who was one of the twenty ers of the Egrēgoroi.The Book of the Giants was published in not less than six or seven languages. From the original Syriac the Greek and MiddlePersian versions were made. The Sogdian edition was probably derived from the Middle Persian, the Uygur from the Sogdian. Thereis no trace of a Parthian text.4 The book may have existed in Coptic. The presence of names such as Sām and Narīmān in the Arabicversion proves that it had been translated from the Middle Persian. To the few surviving fragments (texts A-G) I have added twoexcerpts, the more important of which (H) probably derives from a Syriac epitome of the book. Naturally, Manichæan authors quotedthe book frequently, but there is only one direct citation by a non-Manichæan writer (text O). With the exception of text O, all thepassages referring to the Book of the Giants (texts J-T) go back to Syriac writings (apparently). They are, therefore, to be treated asquotations from the Syriac edition. E.g. the Parthian text N is not the product of a Parthian writer who might have employed a Parthianversion of the book, but was translated from a Syriac treatise whose author cited the Syriac text.In their journey across Central Asia the stories of the Book of the Giants were influenced by local traditions. Thus, the translation ofOhya as Sām had in its train the introduction of myths appertaining to that Iranian hero; this explains the "immortality" of Sā(h)maccording to text I. The country of Aryān-Vēžan Airyana Vaēǰah, in text G (26), is a similar innovation.5 The "Kögmän mountains" intext B may reflect the "Mount Hermon". The progeny of the fallen angels was confined in thirty-six towns (text S). Owing to theintroduction of the Mount Sumeru, this number was changed p. 56 (in Sogdiana) to thirty-two (text G, 22): "the heaven of Indra . . . issituated between the four peaks (cf. G 21) of the Meru, and consists of thirty-two cities of devas" (Eitel, Handb. Chinese Buddhism,148, on Trayastriṃśat).TEXTS(bcd) damaged letters, or uncertain readings.[bcd] suggested restorations of missing letters. visible, but illegible letters.[. . .] estimated number of missing letters.[ ] a lacuna of undetermined extent.(84)] same, at the beginning of a line.[(85 same, at the end of a line.1In the translation parentheses are employed for explanatory remarks.FRAGMENTS OF THE KAWĀNA. Middle-PersianM 101, a to n, and M 911, fifteen fragments of a book, throughout small pieces from the centre of the pages. It has provedimpossible, so far, to re-establish the original order of the pages. On purely technical grounds (size of the fragments, appearance ofthe margins, relative position of tears, stains, etc.), I at first assumed the following sequence: l-j-k-g-i-c-e-b-h-f-a-d-m-M 911-n. Beingunable to estimate the cogency of these technical reasons now, because of the absence of any photographic material, I have decidedto change the order of the first six fragments in the following way: c-j-l-k-g-i, in view of their contents.2 Unfortunately we do not know inwhat order Mani had told the story of the giants. The task of finding the original order is made still more difficult by the fact that besidesthe Kawān the book contained one or two more treatises, namely: (1) Parables referring to the Hearers, and possibly (2) a discourseon the Five Elements (here (1) lines 160 to the end, and (2) lines 112-159). The only fragments that undoubtedly belonged to theKawān are c-j-l-k-g-i, while the position of the fragments e-b-h is particularly doubtful. It must be borne in mind that whole folios may bemissing between apparently successive pages. In order to enable the reader to judge for himself, all the fragments (including theparables) are published here. The text is based on a copy I made nearly ten years ago (referred to in the notes as: Copy); a revision isnot possible under the present circumstances.p. 60Translation(Frg. c) . . . hard . . . arrow . . . bow, he that . . . Sām said: "Blessed be . . . had [he ?] seen this, he would not have died." htm2 / 12
The Book of the Giants12/4/2013Shahmīzād said to Sām, his [son]: "All that Māhawai . . ., is spoilt (?)." Thereupon he said to . . . "We are . . . until (10) . . . and . . . (13). . . that are in (?) the fiery hell (?) . . . As my father, Virōgdād, was . . ." Shahmīzād said: "It is true what he says. He says one ofthousands.1 For one of thousands . . . .". Sām thereupon began . . . Māhawai, too, in many places . . . (20) until to that place he mightescape (1) and . . .2(Frg. j) . . . Virōgdād . . . Hōbābīš 3 robbed Ahr . . . 4 of -naxtag,5 his wife. Thereupon the giants began to kill each other and [toabduct their wives]. The creatures, too, began to kill each other.6 Sām . . . before the sun, one hand in the air, the other (30) . . .whatever he obtained, to his brother . . . . imprisoned . . . (34) . . . over Taxtag.7 To the angels . . . from heaven. Taxtag to . . . Taxtagthrew (or: was thrown) into the water. Finally (?) . . . in his sleep Taxtag saw three signs, [one portending . . .], one woe and flight, andone . . . annihilation. Narīmān saw a gar[den full of] (40) trees in rows. Two hundred . . . came out, the trees. . . .8p. 61(Frg. l) . . . Enoch,1 the apostle, . . . [gave] a message to [the demons and their] children: To you . . . not peace.2 [The judgment onyou is] that you shall be bound for the sins you have committed.3 You shall see the destruction of your children.4 ruling for a hundredand twenty5 [years] . . . . (50) . . . wild ass, ibex . . . ram, goat (?),6 gazelle, . . . oryx, of each two hundred, a pair7 . . . the other wildbeasts, birds, and animals and their wine [shall be] six thousand jugs . . . irritation(?)8 of water (?) . . . and their oil shall be 9 . . .(Frg. k) . . . father . . . nuptials (?) . . . until the completion of his . . . in fighting . . . (60) . . . and in the nest(?) Ohya and Ahya . . . hesaid to his brother: "get up and . . . we will take what our father has ordered us to. The pledge we have given . . . battle." And the giants. . . together . . . (67) "[Not the] . . . of the lion, but the . . . on his . . . [Not the] . . . of the rainbow, but the bow . . . firm. Not the sharpnessof the blade, [but] (70) the strength of the ox (?).10 Not the . . . eagle, but his wings.11 Not the . . . gold, but the brass that hammers12 it.Not the proud [ruler], but the diadem on his [head. Not] the splendid cypress, but the . . . of the mountain . . .(Frg. g) . . . Not he that engages in quarrels, but he that is true in his speech. Not the evil fruit(?), but the poison in it. (80) [Not theythat] are placed (?) 13 in the skies but the God [of all] worlds. Not the servant is proud, p. 62 but [the lord] that is above him. Not one thatis sent . . ., but the man that sent him".1 Thereupon Narīmān . . . said . . . (86) . . . And (in) another place I saw those that were weepingfor the ruin that had befallen them, and whose cries and laments rose up to heaven. (90) And also I saw another place [where therewere] tyrants and rulers . . . in great number, who had lived 2 in sin and evil deeds, when 3 . . .(Frg. i) 4 . . . many . . . were killed, four hundred thousand Righteous 5 . . . with fire, naphtha, and brimstone 6 . . . And the angels veiledout of sight) Enoch. Electae et auditrices (100) . . . and ravished them. They chose beautiful[women], and demanded . . . them in marriage.8 Sordid . . . (103) . . . all . . . carried off . . . severally they were subjected to tasks andservices. And they . . . from each city . . . and were, ordered to serve the . . . The Mesenians [were directed] to prepare, the Khūzians 9to sweep [and] (110) water, the Persians to . . .7 (or: covered, or: protected, or: moved[On the Five Elements](Frg. e) (112) . . . slaying . . . righteous . . . good deeds . . . . elements. The crown, the diadem, [the garland, and] the garment (ofLight). The seven demons. Like a blacksmith [who] binds (or: shuts, fastens) and looses (or: opens, detaches) . . . . who from theseeds of . . . . and serves the king . . . . (120) . . . offends . . . when weeping . . . with mercy . . . hand . . . (125) p. 63 . . . the Pious gave. . . ? . . . presents. Some buried the idols. The Jews did good and evil. Some make their god half demon, half god . . . (130) killing . . .the seven demons . . . eye . . .(Frg. b) . . . various colours that by . . . and bile. If. . . . from the five elements. As if (it were) a means not to die, they fill themselveswith food and drink. Their (140) garment is . . . this corpse . . . and not firm . . . Its ground is not firm . . . Like . . . (146) . . . imprisoned[in this corpse], in bones, nerves,1 [flesh], veins, and skin, and entered herself [ Āz] into it. Then he ( Man) cries out, over 2 (?) sunand moon, the Just God's (150) two flames 3 . . . ? . . .,4 over the elements, the trees and the animals. But God [Zrwān ?], in eachepoch,5 sends apostles: Šīt[īl, Zarathushtra,] Buddha, Christ, . . .(Frg. h) . . . evil-intentioned . . . from where . . . he came. The Misguided recognize the five elements, [the five kinds of] trees, the five(kinds of) animals.(160) . . . On the Hearers. . . we receive . . . from Mani, the Lord, . . . the Five Commandments to . . . the Three Seals . . . (164) . . . living . . . profession . . . andwisdom . . . moon. Rest from the power (or: deceit) . . . own. And keep measured the mixture (?) . . . trees and wells, in two . . . (170)water, and fruit, milk, . . . he should not offend his brother. The wise [Hearer] who like unto juniper [leaves 6 . . .(Frg. f) . . . much profit. Like a farmer . . . who sows seed . . in many 7 . . . The Hearer who . . . knowledge, is like unto a man thatthrew (the dish called) 8 frōšag (180) [into] milk(?). It became hard, not . . . The part that ruin . . . at first heavy. Like . . . first . . . ishonoured . . . might shine . . . (188) six days. The Hearer who gives alms (to the Elect), is like unto a poor (190) man that presents hisdaughter to the king; he reaches (a position of) great p. 64 honour.1 In the body of the Elect the (food given to to him as) alms is purifiedin the same manner as a . . . that by fire and wind . . . beautiful clothes on a clean body . . . turn . . .(Frg. a) . . . witness . . . fruit . . . (200) . . . tree . . . like firewood . . . like a grain (?) . . . radiance. The Hearer in [the world ?], (and) thealms within the Church, are like unto a ship [on the sea] 2: the towing-line 3 (is) in the hand of [the tower] on shore, the sailor (210) is [onboard the ship]. The sea is the world, the ship is [the . . ., the . . . is the ?al]ms, the tower is [the . . . ?], the towing-line (?) is theWisdom. . . . . . . (214) . . . The Hearer . . . is like unto the branch (?) of a fruitless [tree] . . . fruitless . . . and the Hearers . . . fruit that. . . (220) pious deeds. [The Elect,] the Hearer, and Vahman, are like unto three brothers to whom some [possessions] were left bytheir father: a piece of land, . . ., seed. They became partners . . . they reap and . . . The Hearer . . . like . . 3 / 12
The Book of the Giants12/4/2013(Frg. d) . . . an image (?) of the king, cast of gold . . . (230) . . . the king gave presents. The Hearer that copies a book, is like unto asick man that gave his . . . 4 to a . . . man. The Hearer that gives [his] daughter to the church,5 is like . . . pledge, who ( father ?) gavehis son to . . . learn . . . to . . . father, pledge . . . (240) . . . Hearer. Again, the Hearer . . . is like . . . . stumble . . . is purified. To . . . thesoul from the Church, is like unto the wife of the soldier (or: Roman) who . . . infantrist, one shoe . . . who, however, with a denarius . . .was. The wind tore out one . . . he was abashed 6 . . . from the ground . . . ground . . .(Frg. m) . . . (250) . . . sent . . . The Hearer that makes one . . ., is like unto [a compassionate mother] who had seven sons . . . theenemy [killed] all . . . The Hearer that . . . piety . . . (258) . . . a well. One [on the shore of] p. 65 the sea, one in the boat. (260) [He that ison] shore, tows(?) him that is [in the boat].1 He that is in the boat. . . . sea. Upwards to . . . like . . ? . . like a pearl . . . diadem . . .(Frg. M 911) . . . Church. Like unto a man that . . . fruit and flowers . . . then they praise . . . fruitful tree . . . (270) . . . [Like unto a man]that bought a piece of land. [On that] piece of land [there was] a well, [and in that well a bag] full of drachmas . . . the king was filled withwonder . . . share . . . pledge . . .(Frg. n) . . . numerous . . . Hearer. At . . . like unto a garment . . . (280) like . . . to the master . . . like . . . and a blacksmith. Thegoldsmith . . . to honour, the blacksmith to . . . one to . . .B. UygurLeCoq, Türk. Man., iii, 23. Bang, Muséon, xliv, 13-17. Order of pages according to LeCoq (the phot. publ. by Bang seems tosupport LeCoq's opinion).(First page) . . . fire was going to come out. And [I saw] that the sun was at the point of rising, and that [his ?] centre (orḍu) withoutincreasing (? ašïlmatïn ?) above was going to start rolling. Then came a voice from the air above. Calling me, it spoke thus: "Oh sonof Virōgdād, your affairs are lamentable (?). More than this you shall [not] see. Do not die now prematurely, but turn quickly back fromhere." And again, besides this (voice), I heard the voice of Enoch, the apostle, from the south, without, however, seeing him at all.Speaking my name very lovingly, he called. And downwards from . . . then(Second page) . . . " . . for the closed 2 door of the sun will open, the sun's light and heat will descend and set your wings alight. Youwill burn and die," said he. Having heard these words, I beat my wings and quickly flew down from the air. I looked back: Dawn had. . . ., with the light of the sun it had come to rise over the Kögmän mountains. And again a voice came from above. Bringing thecommand of Enoch, the apostle, it said: "I call you, Virōgdād, . . . I know . . . his direction . . . you . . . you . . . Now quickly . . . people . . .also . . .C. SogdianM 648. Small scrap from the centre of a page. Order of pages uncertain.p. 66(First page) . . . I shall see. Thereupon now S[āhm, the giant] was [very] angry, and laid hands on M[āhawai, the giant], with theintention: I shall . . . and kill [you]. Then . . . the other g[iants . . .(Second page) . . . do not be afraid, for . . . [Sā]hm, the giant, will want to [kill] you, but I shall not let him . . . I myself shall damage . . .Thereupon Māhawai, the g[iant], . . . was satisfied . . .D. Middle-PersianPublished Sb.P.A.W., 1934, p. 29. . . outside . . . and . . . left . . . . read the dream we have seen. Thereupon Enoch thus . . . . and the trees that came out, those are theEgrēgoroi (‘yr), and the giants that came out of the women. And . . . . . over . . . pulled out . . . over . . .E. SogdianT iii 282. Order of pages uncertain.(First page) . . . [when] they saw the apostle, . . . before the apostle . . . those demons that were [timid], were very, very glad at seeingthe apostle. All of them assembled before him. Also, of those that were tyrants and criminals, they were [worried] and much afraid.1Then . . .(Second page) . . . not to . . . Thereupon those powerful demons spoke thus to the pious apostle 2: If . . . . by us any (further) sin [will]not [be committed ?], my lord, why ? . . . . you have . . . and weighty injunction 3 . . 4 / 12
The Book of the Giants12/4/2013F. Middle-PersianT ii D ii 164. Six fragmentary columns, from the middle of a page. Order of columns uncertain. Instead of A///B///CDEF, it might havebeen: BCDEFA, or even CDEF///A///B.4p. 67(Col. A) . . . poverty . . . [those who] harassed 1 the happiness of the Righteous, on that account they shall fall into eternal ruin anddistress, into that Fire, the mother of all conflagrations and the foundation of all ruined tyrants. And when these sinful misbegotten sons2 of ruin in those crevices and . . . .(Col. B) . . . you have not been better. In error you thought you would this false power eternally.3 You . . . all this iniquity . . .(Col. C) . . . you that call to us with the voice of falsehood. Neither did we reveal ourselves on your account, so that you could see us,nor thus . . . . ourselves through the praise and greatness that to us . . . -given to you . . ., but . . .p. 68(Col. D) . . . sinners . . . . . is visible, where out of this fire your soul will be prepared (for the transfer) to eternal ruin (?). And as foryou, sinful misbegotten sons of the Wrathful Self,1 confounders of the true words of that Holy One, disturbers of the actions of GoodDeed, aggressors upon Piety, . . . -ers of the Living. . . ., who their . . .(Col. E) . . . and on brilliant wings they shall fly and soar further outside and above that Fire, and shall gaze into its depth and height.And those Righteous that will stand around it, outside and above, they themselves shall have power over that Great Fire, and overeverything in it. . . . . . blaze . . . . souls that . . .(Col. F) . . . they are purer and stronger [than the] Great Fire of Ruin that sets the worlds ablaze. They shall stand around it, outsideand above, and splendour shall shine over them. Further outside and above it they shall fly 2 (?) after those souls that may try to escapefrom the Fire. And that . . . .G. SogdianT ii. Two folios (one only publ. here; the other contains a wyδβ’γ cn pš’qṯ δywtyy "Discourse on the Nephīlīm-demons"). Head-lines: R:pš’n prβ’r 3 ". . . pronouncement", V: iv fryštyt δn CC "The four angels with the two hundred [demons . . . ".p. 69. . . they took and imprisoned all the helpers that were in the heavens. And the angels themselves descended from the heaven to theearth. And (when) the two hundred demons saw those angels, they were much afraid and worried. They assumed the shape of men 3and hid themselves. Thereupon the angels forcibly removed the men 4 from the demons, (10) laid them aside, and put watchers overthem . . . . the giants . . . . were sons . . . with each other in bodily union . . . . with each other self- . . . . and the . . . . that had been bornto them, they forcibly removed them 5 from the demons. And they led one half of them (20) eastwards, and the other half westwards, onthe skirts of four huge mountains, towards the foot of the Sumeru mountain, into thirty-two towns which the Living Spirit had preparedfor them in the beginning.6 And one calls (that place) Aryān-waižan. And those men are (or: were) . . . . in the first arts and crafts.7 (30). . . . they made . . . the angels . . . and to the demons . . . they went to fight. And those two hundred demons fought a hard battle withthe [four angels], until [the angels used] fire, naphtha, and brimstone 8 . . . .EXCERPTSH. SogdianT ii S 20. Sogdian script.9 Two folios. Contents similar to the "Kephalaia". Only about a quarter (I R i-17) publ. here. The followingchapter has as headline: ’’γšt š’nš’y cnn ’β[c’n]pδ[yh w]prs Here begins: Šanšai's 10 question the world. Init. rty tym ZK š’nš’[y] [cnn]m’rm’ny rwγšny pr’yš[t’kw w’nkw ’]prs’ ’yn’k ’βc’npδ ZY kw ZKh mrtγmyt (’skw’nt) oo ckn’c pyδ’r ’’zy mrch ’zγyr’nt And again Šanšaiasked the Light Apostle: this world where mankind lives, why does one call it birth-death (saṃsāra, Chin. shêng-szŭ).p. 70. . . and what they had seen in the heavens among the gods, and also what they had seen in hell, their native land, and furthermorewhat they had seen on earth,—all that they began to teach (hendiadys) to the men.3 To Šahmīzād two(?) sons were borne by . . . . Oneof them he named "Ohya"; in Sogdian he is called "Sāhm, the giant". And again a second son [was born] to him. He named him"Ahya"; its Sogdian (equivalent) is "Pāt-Sāhm". As for the remaining giants, they were born to the other demons and Yakṣas.(Colophon) Completed: (the chapter on) "The Coming of the two hundred Demons".I. SogdianM 500 n. Small fragment. . . . manliness, in powerful tyranny, he (or: you ?) shall not die". The giant Sāhm and his brother will live eternally. For in the wholeworld in power and strength, and in . . . . [they have no ts.htm5 / 12
The Book of the Giants12/4/2013QUOTATIONS AND ALLUSIONSJ. Middle-PersianT ii D ii 120, V ii 1-5: and in the coming of the two hundred demons there are two paths: the hurting speech, and the hard labour;these (belong, or: lead) to hell.K. SogdianM 363.p. 71(First page) . . . before . . . they were. And all the . . . 2 fulfilled their tasks lawfully. Now, they became excited and irritated for thefollowing reason: namely, the two hundred demons came down to the sphere from the high heaven, and the . . . .(Second page) . . . in the world they became excited and irritated. For their life-lines and the connections of their Pneumatic Veins 3are joined to sphere. (Colophon) Completed: the exposition of the three worlds. (Head-line) Here begins: the coming of Jesus and[his bringing] the religion to Adam and Šitil. . . . you should care and . . .L. CopticKephalaia, 17116-19: Earthquake and malice happened in the watchpost of the Great King of Honour, namely the Egrēgoroi whoarose at the time when they were . . . . and there descended those who were sent to confound them.M. CopticKephalaia, 9224-31: Now attend and behold how the Great King of Honour who is ἔννοια, is in the third heaven. He is . . . with thewrath . . . and a rebellion . . ., when malice and wrath arose in his camp, namely the Egrēgoroi of Heaven who in his watch-district(rebelled and) descended to the earth. They did all deeds of malice. They revealed the arts in the world, and the mysteries of heavento the men. Rebellion and ruin came about on the earth . . .N. ParthianM 35, lines 21-36. Fragment of a treatise entitled ’rdhng wyfr’s Commentary on (Mani's opus) Ārdahang.4p. 72And the story about the Great Fire: like unto (the way in which) the Fire, with powerful wrath, swallows this world and enjoys it; likeunto (the way in which) this fire that is in the body, swallows the exterior fire that is (lit. comes) in fruit and food, and enjoys it. Again,like unto (the story in which) two brothers who found a treasure, and a pursuer lacerated each other, and they died; like unto (the fightin which) Ohya, Lewyātīn ( Leviathan), and Raphael lacerated each other, and they vanished; lik
The Book of the Giants was published in not less than six or seven languages. From the original Syriac the Greek and Middle Persian versions were made. The Sogdian edition was probably derived from the Middle Persian, the Uygur from the Sogdian. There is no trace of a Parthian text.4 The book may have existed in Coptic. The presence of names .
